Cabinet clears 256 hydro projects for Himachalis
Shimla, June 27
Aimed at speedy exploitation of the hydel potential available in the state, the government today decided to allot 256 self-identified hydro electric projects with capacity ranging up to 5 MW to Himachalis.

Two Cabinet berths may be filled in July
Shimla, June 27
Even as there are conflicting views on appointment of chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) and parliamentary secretaries (PS), pressure is being mounted by BJP legislators to stall any move which prohibits them from getting appointment as chairmen of boards and corporations.

Sunday SpecialForeign experts to train students in fashion design
Hamirpur, June 27
The International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD) has taken a new stride in fashion designing by collaborating with world famous institute of fashion design ‘Instituto di Moda Burgo’ (IMB) of Italy to invite experts to train students of the institute, including students from Hamirpur
centre.

MBBS Admission ScamKingpin arrested from Bhopal
Mandi, June 27
The special investigation unit (SIU) of the state police has claimed to have busted a “national MBBS admission scam” with the arrest of its kingpin, Bawa Sahib
Gaekwad, from Bhopal. However, his actual name is Shaukat Ali, a resident of Bagpath in Uttar
Pradesh. He was arrested under Section 420 of the IPC.

Ex-panchayat chief told to pay salary with interest
Shimla, June 27
The HP High Court has directed the then president of gram panchayat (Ludhiana), Sirmaur district, to pay pending two-year salary of a water carrier working in a primary school. The order was passed by Justice Rajiv Sharma on a petition filed by one Ravinder Singh.

Mankotia fires another salvo
Shimla, June 27
Perturbed over failure of the present regime in initiating action in the CD case involving Congress leader Virbhadra Singh, former BSP leader Vijai Singh Mankotia sought details in this regard under the Right to Information Act.

22 kg of charas, opium seized in two weeks
Mandi, June 27
The police seizure of over 22 kg of charas and opium, including 2.2 kg of charas seized today at Luhri from three persons, within a span of two weeks from the Ani area has not only brought to light the emergence of Ani-Karsog-Shimla and Ani-Narkanda-Shimla as the new smuggling routes, but it also exposed the security lapse and risk as the police station at
Ani has no lockup room available.

4 of family get 2 years’ jail
Solan, June 27
The Additional Sessions Judge today sentenced four members of a family, including three brothers
-Radhey Shyam, Ved Garg and Raj Kumar and their nephew Rishab Garg, to two years’ simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 for an offence committed under section 306 of the IPC for abetting the suicide of a youth, Gaurav Rattan, in
May 2008.

Removal of MC commissioner sought
Shimla, June 27
Rising above political considerations all councillors of the local municipal corporation (MC) today passed a resolution, seeking removal of the commissioner for his dictatorial attitude.

Child injured as building collapses
Solan, June 27
Dhruva Sharma (3) was injured while 10 others living in a double-storey building at Madhuvan Colony here had a miraculous escape when it collapsed following some digging activity in its basement at 8.30 pm last evening.

Jalandhar resident killed
Kullu, June 27
One person was killed while five others injured when a tourist car (Indica) fell into a deep gorge near Manali today.
The incident took place when the vehicle was on its way from Manali to Rohtang Pass. However, when it reached near Kothi village at 8 am, the driver of the car lost control over it.

Officers shifted
Shimla, June 27
The government today ordered the postings and transfer of eight IPS officers. Pradeep Kumar, DIG (South), was promoted and posted as IG (Law and Order) in place of SR Mardi.

Woman gets life term
Sundernagar, June 27
Sessions Judge, Mandi, DK Sharma has sentenced Ganga Devi, a resident of Gahar village, to life imprisonment for killing her sister-in-law over a land dispute and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on her.

Shimla, June 27
Aimed at speedy exploitation of the hydel potential available in the state, the government today decided to allot 256 self-identified hydro electric projects with capacity ranging up to 5 MW to Himachalis.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal. The decision was taken in line with the power policy of the state government. It has been done to generate vast employment and self-employment avenues for the youth of the state as also developing entrepreneurship among them.

Besides this 16 other projects of 67.10 MW capacity have been approved for allotment to non-Himachalis.

In another significant decision the government decided to grant domicile Himachali certificate to persons who have been living permanently in the state for the past minimum period of 15 years by restoring the position which was in practice prior to November 11, 2004.

It decided to procure seedling and grafted varieties of mango fruits at the rate of Rs 4.58 and Rs 5.25 per kg, respectively, under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) during 2009. The scheme will be implemented with effect from July 1, 2009, to August 15, 2009, and procurement agencies for the operation would be HPMC, HIMFED and the HP Agro Industries Corporation. As many as 34 mango fruit procurement collection centres will be set up.

It approved creation of a separate revenue district in Baddi with a view to providing all facilities to industrialists in Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area at their door steps and sanctioned 13 posts of different categories to start the functioning on priority.

It decided to regularise services of contingent employees working in various departments who have completed a minimum of eight years of service on March 31, 2008, to bring them at par with rest of the regular employees of the departments concerned.

It was also decided to constitute the Himachal Pradesh State Water Management Board with a view to managing water resource development and distribution in the entire state. The chief minister will be the chairman of the board.

It also approved the Kasauli Area Development Scheme for planned and systematic development of the area for future implementation. The development plan has been prepared for the revised planning area, known as the Greater Kasauli Planning Area.

Shimla, June 27
Even as there are conflicting views on appointment of chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) and parliamentary secretaries (PS), pressure is being mounted by BJP legislators to stall any move which prohibits them from getting appointment as chairmen of boards and corporations.

With patience of the ruling party MLAs and leaders running out, it is expected that the two vacancies in the Cabinet would be filled in the second week of July. The party is now confronted with a new problem where difficulty is being faced in honouring the commitment that leaders who could not get the Assembly ticket would be accommodated as chairmen of boards and corporations.

The MLAs have been lobbying with the high command to appoint them as chairmen, as earlier it had been stated that only leaders who were denied the Assembly ticket would be accommodated and MLAs would not be considered. With the Uttarakhand example where the legislators revolted, the high command is keen that a similar situation, developing in Himachal, must be averted and all appointments, including those of ministers and chairmen, must be done at the earliest.

The party legislators are putting in their might to oppose any such move where they do not get rewards in the form of chairmen of boards and corporations. With a limit on the size of the Cabinet and no final decision on appointment of CPS and PS, the claim of MLAs cannot be ignored in appointment of chairmen of boards and corporations, said a two-time MLA.

Apprehending rebellion keeping in view the long list of contenders for various posts, a section of the party leadership, including Chief Minister PK Dhumal, is toying with the idea of appointing CPS and PS. Though there are conflicting views as many feel it would be a cause of major embarrassment to the party which had moved court against similar appointments by the Congress, others contest that the post are now constitutionally valid as the Assembly had passed an Act in this regard.

As such a final decision on the issue is likely to be taken up by the party high soon so that there is no further delay in making appointments. The contenders, including MLAs, are already giving indications of impatience, as the party has already been in power for year-and-a-half.

The name of state BJP chief Jai Ram Thakur has already been approved by the high command while another MLA from Una district is likely to be
accommodated in the Cabinet, next month.

Sunday Special
Foreign experts to train students in fashion design
Dharam Prakash Gupta
Tribune News Service

Hamirpur, June 27
The International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD) has taken a new stride in fashion designing by collaborating with world famous institute of fashion design ‘Instituto di Moda Burgo’ (IMB) of Italy to invite experts to train students of the institute, including students from Hamirpur centre.

IMB institute based in Milan is considered as the leading institute of fashion design, which has not only revolutionised fashion education all these years but is also associated with top international brands like GUCCI, Armani, Krizia, Gianfranco Ferre, Dolce & Gabbana etc.

This institute has been rated among the top 200 fashion schools the world over by the Ministry of Technology of Egypt.

Telling about this collaboration Aditi Srivastva, vice-president of INIFD talking to The Tribune said, “Through this collaboration INIFD would invite experts and professionals from IMB, Milan, to India in July, 2009, to train faculties of INIFD in an Italian way.”

“Since Milan is the fashion capital of the world where fashion represents one of the most glamorous realities leading to discovery of fashion evolution as part of life, arts, social history and daily events, the experts from IMB would train the students about the innovative and dynamic international standards about modern and latest fashion designs,” she adds.

Managing Director of INIFD centre, Hamirpur, Sat Pal Sharma said, “While teachers from the IMB would directly communicate with the students of the institute during teaching sessions, the collaboration with IMB would also provide international certification to their courses besides providing books about latest international fashion designs and practical exposure through workshops and exhibitions.”This would also give an exposure to traditional and very famous costumes of Himachal Pradesh at international level like Kullu shawls.

Mandi, June 27
The special investigation unit (SIU) of the state police has claimed to have busted a “national MBBS admission scam” with the arrest of its kingpin, Bawa Sahib Gaekwad, from Bhopal. However, his actual name is Shaukat Ali, a resident of Bagpath in Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested under Section 420 of the IPC.

Following this “certain private medical colleges in Kolhapur, Bhopal, Pune, Gurgaon and Delhi have also come under the scanner”.

He was produced before the judicial magistrate here today and was sent to police custody till June 29.

According to the police investigation, Ali was charging Rs 15 to Rs 18 lakh per candidate to get them admitted to certain private medical colleges in Kolhapur, Bhopal, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Delhi, etc. He had allegedly cheated a Mandi-based complainant doctor by taking Rs 12 lakh for his daughter’s admission to a private medical college in Kolhapur (Maharashtra) promising him admission in 2006, then in 2007 and in 2008, which he never did.

He was caught by the SIU team at Bhopal yesterday after getting inputs on his different names, addresses and mobile phone calls from Ali’s Himachal-based middleman, Kamal Jamval of Kangra. Jamval was arrested in this connection about two months ago. In fact, the complainant had lodged complaint here in 2008 when he was cheated by the agent as he refused to
return his money.

Ali’s interrogation revealed that he used to take commission from the management of certain private colleges and “take students for them to fill their management quota seats”, said ASP, SIU, Abhishekh Bhullar.

The Mandi SP said they used to give advertisements about MBBS admission to catch their client-victims.

“We are verifying as to how many cases Ali has been involved in. It appears to be a national-level network.”

Shimla, June 27
The HP High Court has directed the then president of gram panchayat (Ludhiana), Sirmaur district, to pay pending two-year salary of a water carrier working in a primary school. The order was passed by Justice Rajiv Sharma on a petition filed by one Ravinder Singh.

In his petition, the petitioner alleged that he was appointed as a water carrier by a duly selected committee and after the selection, he had to enter into an agreement with the gram panchayat and the same was required to issue an appointment letter.

He was selected on August 3, 2002, and was provisionally allowed to enter into an agreement and producing the appointment letter. He started working in the school and the fact was admitted by the Headmaster of the school but his salary was not paid to him till his regular joining after entering into the agreement in 2004.

The court observed that records revealed that the petitioner had made many efforts to peruse the then president of the panchayat to issue him the letter, but of no avail.

Even the district panchayat officer and block primary officer recommended the president to issue the letter but till 2004, it was not issued.

Passing the order, Justice Rajeev Sharma observed that the only person in delaying the entire process was the then president of gram panchayat and directed him to pay the salary for the said period with 9 per cent interest.

Shimla, June 27
Perturbed over failure of the present regime in initiating action in the CD case involving Congress leader Virbhadra Singh, former BSP leader Vijai Singh Mankotia sought details in this regard under the Right to Information Act.

Mankotia who has quit politics today made a request before the public information officer of the Director- General Police (DGP) office seeking details about a forensic report given by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and the legal opinion given by the secretary, law, in this regard.

Interestingly, Mankotia has sought details about progress in the said CD case between January, 2008, to May, 2009, the period since the BJP has assumed power in
Himachal.

Mandi, June 27
The police seizure of over 22 kg of charas and opium, including 2.2 kg of charas seized today at Luhri from three persons, within a span of two weeks from the Ani area has not only brought to light the emergence of Ani-Karsog-Shimla and Ani-Narkanda-Shimla as the new smuggling routes, but it also exposed the security lapse and risk as the police station at
Ani has no lockup room available.

It is for the first time that the police has seized 22.2 kg of charas, including a quantity of opium, arresting three smugglers from Haryana, and four from Himachal.

However, when smugglers are brought to the Ani police station there is no lockup room available for them, exposing a major security lapse on part of the police that can pose threat to cops on duty risking their jobs if criminals escape from custody, said police sources.

Earlier also, four arrested, including three smugglers from Sonepat (Haryana), were kept in a small room as the police station is housed in a dingy room. The new building of the police is yet to be completed,
as it has no funds, revealed insiders.

The SIU today laid a naka at Luhri and searched a private car (HP-62-1216) and recovered 2.2 kg of charas from three of its occupants- Puran from Bushair (Ani), Pawan (Suni) and Sunil (Hamirpur). They were arrested under the NDPS Act.

The police sources said they have brought to notice of the higher-ups several times, but the building work is hanging in fire since 2007.

Kullu SP KK Indoria admitted that there was a need for extra vigilance on the routes and would take it up with higher-ups.

Solan, June 27
The Additional Sessions Judge today sentenced four members of a family, including three brothers -Radhey Shyam, Ved Garg and Raj Kumar and their nephew Rishab Garg, to two years’ simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 for an offence committed under section 306 of the IPC for abetting the suicide of a youth, Gaurav Rattan, in
May 2008.

An additional sentence of six months has also been announced in case of default of fine. The case pertains to May 5, 2008, when Rishab had parked his bike in front of the shop of the deceased at Dharampur bazaar. This was objected to by Gaurav who asked Rishab to remove his bike from there but this irked Rishab who later called his uncles there. An altercation ensued between the two sides. Peace was, however, brokered after the intervention of the locals but Gaurav continued to be threatened and rebuked telephonically.

Though the police register a case against them after the mother of the deceased approached the police, Gaurav continued to receive threats from the Garg brothers.

Following this, Gaurav committed suicide on the intervening night of May 24-25. The prosecution managed to produce as many as 13 witnesses in support of their case that was aptly pleaded by Attorney NL Sen.

Shimla, June 27
Rising above political considerations all councillors of the local municipal corporation (MC) today passed a resolution, seeking removal of the commissioner for his dictatorial attitude.

All MC councillors, including those of the Congress, the BJP and the CPM, supported a resolution seeking change of the commissioner, AN Sharma. They criticised the commissioner, an IPS officer, for not taking the members into confidence and taking decisions on his own.

The members in the meeting urged the government to shift the commissioner who according to them was taking decisions by bypassing the house and the duly elected councillors.

They cited several examples, including that of the construction of the office of the SDO, allegedly without seeking prior approval.

Solan, June 27
Dhruva Sharma (3) was injured while 10 others living in a double-storey building at Madhuvan Colony here had a miraculous escape when it collapsed following some digging activity in its basement at 8.30 pm last evening.

The owner of the building, who was among its occupants, was constructing an additional floor in its basement when the building gave way owing to digging activity in the vicinity of its base pillars.

Sensing unwarranted movements, the inmates came out of the building while Dhruva was left inside. The building collapsed in no time giving a little time to rescue the girl, who buried in the debris.

The girl was later admitted to the local Regional Hospital as she had received injuries on her face. Her condition is stated to be stable.

The building had been constructed some years ago and at the time of incident, 10 persons were present there.

Shimla, June 27
The government today ordered the postings and transfer of eight IPS officers.

Pradeep Kumar, DIG (South), was promoted and posted as IG (Law and Order) in place of SR Mardi.

Mardi, IG (Law and Order), has been posted against the same post in the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.

IG (headquarters) BNS Negi has been posted as the IG, Armed Police Training College (APTC), Daroh. M. Siddiqi and Atul Verma have also been promoted from the rank of the DIG to the IG. The DIG (APTC), DP Sharma, has been transferred and posted as the DIG (headquarters).
— TNS

Sundernagar, June 27
Sessions Judge, Mandi, DK Sharma has sentenced Ganga Devi, a resident of Gahar village, to life imprisonment for killing her sister-in-law over a land dispute and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on her.

Earlier, the police had arrested the convict along with her husband Lautia Ram and Sarswati Devi. The dead body of the deceased was recovered by her daughter on August 17, 2008.